Tuesday, March 03, 2009

Questions from the Mirror

Christian, do you ever ask yourself the question, "Why me"? How often do you reflect on the fact that you were called and chosen by God, but others are not.

When this question comes into your thoughts, do you spend time churning it over in your mind? And when you churn it over, what answer do you arrive at?

If your answer has anything to do with you, then repenting of your arrogance and spending a long time in God's Word would probably be a wise thing.

One final question...

When you arrive at the answer, what does it motivate you to do?

2 comments:

Mamame said...

Eric - I came here from a comment on this same topic on another blog. :)

I don't often ask "why me?" although I really should. I was adopted as a baby and never questioned "why me" in my physical adoption into my family so maybe that's why I never questioned my adoption into my heavenly family. But when I do ponder it, I'm absolutely humbled and give glory to God for what He's done. Just as my parents didn't choose my for anything I did - other than being born, so God chose me for no reason other than He wanted to. How cool is that? To be chosen to be a child of the living God!! Wowza!!!

What does it motivate me to do? Let others know about God's greatness and goodness and sacrifice for them so they can know Him too. I don't know who's "elect" and who's not, but what an incredible blessing to be involved in one coming to Christ. When it happens, you just KNOW that it's not what you said because you've said it a billion times before to others but this time it "stuck" because God made it happen. It's like watching a birth of a child. It happens with you there or not but what an incredible experience to be there and see it all happening (and being a part of it is even better!).

Eric, the Mad Monk said...

Mamame,

Thanks for stopping by!

I find myself asking this question regularly. Often it is like the tongue probing the spot where a tooth used to be.

I remember the thoughts and preferences I used to have, and wonder why God chose to save me from my life of arrogance and denying His rightful place.

Unlike you, God let me wallow in the filth of this world for over thirty years before grabbing me by the scruff of my neck and saying "No More". He allowed me to live the Romans 1:19-23 life until intruding on what I considered "fun" and showing me the truth.

The story in a nutshell is that roughly two years ago, God turned me into a non-Christian, Christian apologist to bring my wife out of the Jehovah's Witnesses and bring both of us to a true understanding of Him. It was an incredible situation, and the changes He has made in both of us since then send me back to this question over and over again. All of this I happily declare was God's work, not a bit was mine.

Asking this question, and over and over again reaching the true conclusion that there was NO reason other than his Love and Grace, absolutely destroys any shred of pride in my salvation.

I have to come back to this question over and over again to hammer home the Glory and Horror of the Cross. Knowing that there was nothing special in me that warranted this gift gives me a greater heart of compassion for the lost and helps me battle against the sin of condemning those who do the same things I once did. This question has been a help battling the fear of Man by motivating me to boldly speak of Christ.

As to the comment you backtracked from. It pains me to see people thinking that it is just their choice to come to Christ.

We are unable to go to Christ without being drawn to Him by the Father. Claiming that it was our choice, steals Glory from God and gives us something to boast about (saying "it was my decision to turn to Christ" runs completely counter to 1 Corinthians 1:26-31).

God was the one who chose me (Ephesians 1:4), changed my heart so I could respond to Him (Ezekiel 11:17-20) and keeps me following Christ (Philippians 1:6). To deny this, destroys any confidence I have in salvation, because if it was left to me, I would fail. And if it was left to the heart of Man to turn towards Christ, Heaven would be very empty when God brings this world to completion.